


Cries of the Underdog

by Cheer_The_Underdog_On



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Biopunk, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 17:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/916028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheer_The_Underdog_On/pseuds/Cheer_The_Underdog_On
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in the year 2046, the youth struggle to find their identity and connections to the world they live in. With everything placed in the hands of their parents and the Artificial Intelligence which they cohabitate with, teens use their knowledge of computers to carve a home for their generation. Cyber/biopunk Akuroku.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

                Maybe it was just Axel. Maybe it was the way he saw the blond. Maybe it was how infuriatingly perfect Roxas seemed to have it when in reality he was trapped in a web of gossip and unreasonable compulsions to do things because they were ‘the right things to do’. Then again, maybe it was just Axel. Axel who was feeling worn a little too thin; Axel who was dozing off in math class; Axel who should be taking notes. “The answer, Axel?”  He snapped up at the waist wiping away a tiny trail of drool that had begun to form at the corner of his mouth.  
  
                The answer. Why him? Hadn’t he answered one yesterday? Did he really need this? “Seven x to the eighth power divided by y squared?” He hated putting things in a question tone. Was this Jeopardy? Was this all really necessary?

                There seemed to be a lot of questions in his mind at the moment. One of them was why he was asking so many questions. Is this what he got for going to bed early? Brain cells firing off faster than he’d care them to? There were more questions flying around his gray matter than there were notes in a symphony, more than bullets on a battlefield.  He felt rather poetic at the moment, but that didn’t really seem to matter seeing as this was Algebra 2.  
  
                Axel in math class. Roxas a row over and two seats up staring at him with a small smirk tugging at his lips. One boring math teacher with glazed over eyes suddenly jumping to attention to do her job. “And how did you get that?” The redhead was beginning to feel like this was a teacher’s go to method when they didn’t want to solve something. That or he was wrong. With the way Roxas was trying to hide a smile, he was feeling like it was the latter.

                Here began his lengthy explanation as he tried to justify himself to the class. He really wished he didn’t have to defend himself. Couldn’t they just take him at his word? Or if he was wrong, could the woman at least tell him he was wrong instead of making him waste two minutes of their time with his long winded run through? He realized at the end, that’s all she had wanted. Two minutes of class killed. Fifty-one to go.  
  
                Once the attention was off him, he could go back to things that mattered. The things his brain prioritized. Questions like why Roxas looked so good in the clothes of a poser, or why he was able to smile so emptily, but get away with it. He knew the blond was sick. Physically. Not mentally. He knew that much, but the books he had caught the blond reading had told him something else as well. That moment he had snagged a glimpse of the other at the library; it had been similar to seeing a chameleon with all the colors stripped out of it. Roxas, when he was all alone, was black and white. He was print. He was easy to read. He was binary. In school, he pretended to be the rainbow. Colorful and beautiful to the eye. Gorgeous enough to please anyone.

                The redhead hypothesized that this was strongly due to the blond’s parents’ desire for him to be the next School President, but in that small moment of secluded intimacy, where Axel’s eyes had met Roxas’, he had been forced to abandon all his assumption about the blond. Everything had to be reconstructed.

                Everyone knew that Roxas was sick. It was the biggest tragedy to humanity since the Black Plague. People when they found out that Roxas’ life was nothing more than a wisp of fog destined to disappear in morning’s light seemed to stop breathing for a moment. It was as if they believed that if they could abandon that single breath and gift it to the blond, he could keep on living. Roxas on the ever positive side of things pretended he didn’t notice these instances of pity. He ignored the stares and questions and just focused on being himself. His sickness, although a part of him, did not define who he was. Observing him some more, Axel decided that this was the key reason why the smaller male was so popular. Roxas put hope and faith in people. Something not a lot of students had anymore.

                It was the year 2046 and every human beneath the age of thirty was having an identity crisis. AI- Artificial Intelligence- had taken over command. They performed jobs, did maintenance, cooked, cleaned, and made everything easy living at an affordable price. Most adults loved it. The convenience and freedom it left them was amazing. The robots didn’t make mistakes like a human did, but to the youth, it had left them homeless. There was no way for them to find a niche in the world. Where were they to go when mechanical pieces of perfection had left them out in the cold?

                School provided some sort of shelter from the impending storm, but Axel, just like everyone else, could feel the tsunami of hopeless confusion that was approaching. “I just don’t know.” The phrase was the mantra of their age group. Where was there to turn? To run to? Why do anything when something else equally as smart and more capable could out do you? Some days he felt desolation crash in, most of the time, though, he could struggle to withstand it.

                The older demographics seemed deaf to their cries. They seemed to believe that their progression of AI would immortalize them. They were also well aware of its downside too. Certain jobs such as teaching in public schools, nursing, and other things that directly needed a human’s touch, due to the psychological nature of it, were protected. Sadly, the jobs were not enough in number for their children.

                At the same time, World War 3 was being waged online. The government had long lost control of the digital expanse. Their threats of shutting down satellites had been met with hackers crying out and launching their own. Laws passed declaring that they’d shoot such things out of the sky had been quickly annulled as they lost control of their computerized missiles. The battle had moved from the real world to online. The concept that someone would actually _physically fight_ one another seemed gruesome and barbaric. Espionage had become digital with viruses. Warfare had become mental avatars killing each other through ending the electric signals in the brain. Less mess. Less losses. Somehow, there were unspoken rules to all of this. He who had developed them was unknown, a pioneer of them all. The first to transcend the physical realm into _The Database._ Some theorized it was the first creator, Ansem Berkousky, the original inventor of AI, but this could not be proven.

                So how did that all tie in to Roxas in the library and Axel in math class? The redhead picked at his cuticles, before he pulled out his tablet and typed a short message using his classmate communicator to the blond.

Axel Brennant: I saw what you were reading.

                He waited with godlike patience for the other to receive his message and react. To his disappointment, the blond didn’t even flinch.

Roxas Torm: So? People read, Axel. What’s your point?

                Biting his lip, Axel glanced up at the teacher who had retreated to her desk. She wasn’t monitoring their personal dialog, he hoped.

Axel Brennant: I have something to show you.

Roxas Torm: …okay. You do know normal people at least start with a hello before getting strangely freaky, right?

                His cheeks flushed.

Axel Brennant: Right, sorry. Hello.  
  
Roxas Torm: Well it’s a little beside the point now. What did you want to show me?

Axel Brennant: You live near Eagle’s Peak, right? On Bluebell, right near Lauren Brooke’s house?

Roxas Torm: …yes? How do you know this?

                Giving a frustrated sigh, he began to type faster.

Axel Brennant: Look, I’m not exactly good with people, and you’ve ridden my bus for the last five years. You get off on the stop right before mine. I just want to show you something that you might like. It has to do with those books you were reading. The ones on Tuesday? The ones from the RS.  
  
                ‘Restricted section, that’s right, Roxas. I saw you.’ He rubbed his hands together to create friction for the room was oddly cold. As he waited, he saw what was happening within the other teen’s head: painful deliberation and consideration. He wanted to know what Axel could possibly know about anything in the restricted section. If it hadn’t been for the fact that their high school was at least fifty years old, there wouldn’t even be a restricted section. All those old manuscripts and research papers on hacking would never have been allowed in an ‘esteemed institution of learning’ like this.

Roxas Torm: This better be good, or I’m reporting you to the office.

Axel Brennant: That’s all I needed. See you at the bus.

Never had he been so happy for the bell at the end of school to ring.

* * *

**Thank you, Layla for beta.**


	2. Chapter 2

                It was very visible to Axel, that Roxas felt uncomfortable as the bus closed its’ doors to roll onto the redhead’s stop. The smell of exhaust mixed sloppily in the early spring humidity, and the junior wondered how he could have gone six years without ever really talking to this boy, “So you’re a sophomore?” He asked casually, trying not to smirk when his voice made the other jump.

                The blond’s voice was uncertain, but he painted himself up with the friendliest tone he had, “Yeah, and you’re a senior, right? Or no...Junior?”

                “Junior.” The word seemed to puncture time and space itself sending them spiraling back into silence.

                The next vain attempt at talking was Roxas’ pleasure, “So…what do you like to do? Ya know, besides spy on me in the RS.”

                Axel snorted at the idea of himself ‘spying’ on the blond, and his nose was met on inhale with the scent of worn leathery plastic. ‘God, I wonder how old this bus even is.’ One of the timeworn graffiti marks dated back to 2031. What a junker. “Normal stuff. I play sports, read some, I like to work on computers…”

                “Yeah…computers.” They both seemed to be banking that the other knew what they meant. The pressure to not question one another immediately was beginning to weigh heavily.

                 ‘I want to know what he knows about AI. Does he program?’ Axel bit his lip, “Do you-?”

                Roxas shook his head, “Just wait. I think we’ve both already said too much.” They regressed back into their awkward shells of safety. From there, the taller male felt free to analyze his new found companion. Roxas really was everything that people cracked him up to be. His hair was a soft blond with strips of dandelion brilliance. His complexion was smooth and fair as if he had never exerted himself a day in his life. His very essence exhorted something up inside of Axel to improve himself. The only flaw, if it could even be called that, was the dusting of freckles upon the young man’s nose, but even that seemed to be stars in the Milky Way that was Roxas’ appearance. Slender, Axel noted as well, but not sickly thin like the redhead would have anticipated him to be, ‘He’s just…so human.’ The American Boy of the decades past. ‘I wonder what he would look like wearing retro clothes…’

                The examination became feelings of comparison rather quickly. Axel was Christmas with his candy cane red hair and white, white skin. His eyes were the greens of summer in their entire vibrant evanescent multitude. Freckles, similar to the blond’s, dotted his body like cities on a map. He had used to play connect the dots on his arms when he was bored in class, but gone were those days. ‘Everything was so much simpler when I was a kid.’ He bit his lip at that lie, ‘Maybe it wasn’t…’ There were those days, those long, long days where he thought he wouldn’t make it. “Sometimes people get sick.” How those words burned like acid to a child who was bewildered by every sight and sound. There was nothing more fragile than a smile at a funeral. Nothing as piercing as the blare of a siren. Nothing as strong as the dropping of a pall to represent finality.

                “Your father has passed away, son.” The irony in those words was not lost on him even to this day. He supposed that the other man hadn’t even realized what ‘son’ meant to him. ‘At least I still have mom.’

                When someone dies, a part of you dies with them. A connection cut with sharpened metallic scissors. A one way conversation made permanent. Axel’s mother hadn’t healed, but she had broken the habit of flinching at her husband’s name anymore, and she had learned to laugh again. A gifted man is what the young boy’s father was called most often at the funeral. It seemed most of the adults there weren’t present to mourn the man, but his ideas by the way they talked of him. They handled his mother like she was a child. Telling her time would heal all wounds and that everything would be okay. “So many projects left unfinished.” Hidden words. Whispers in the crowd told him that his dad was important to the company. “We value every Moshiva employee, and we’re sorry for your loss.”

                Axel was not ignorant. He knew his dad had been sick. People still treated him like a fool.

                The young boy had been oblivious. He hadn’t realized the absolute finite way death had about it.

                The teen wasn’t stupid. He knew what letting go was.

                Axel wasn’t an AI. He still missed the man who bought him his first book on computers, let him play around his office, and had taught him how to throw a baseball.

                Humans were such perfect hypocrites. You were told to let go by society, but every single last one of them clung to something. They needed it. Human’s needed definition and connections to show that they were real just as much as they needed air. It made his age group’s existential crisis twice as hard. It felt like they were impostors on the planet. Extras. No connections to be made due to all of them having been consumed by AI.

                There was a soft hiss as the airbrakes were engaged, the doors swinging open. Axel stood regally at his awkward height. He loomed over the blond like a guardian angel. Something about the smaller boy made Axel want to protect him. ‘Why? I don’t have a fixer-upper complex.’ Biting the inside of his cheek, he realized that this was possibly the biggest lie he had ever told himself. Doctors and computer geeks were the same to some extent. They both handled physical and mental parts of one creation. Sometimes it was the hardware, the bones, the muscles, the motherboard, the processor. Sometimes it was the brain, the software. All those connections and inputs had to line up perfectly to make something light up with electricity. Beautiful in its simplicity and complexity.

                Just like Roxas.

                Their steps hit the asphalt like the ocean crashing against the shoreline. Kissing it shortly before being taken away only to smack against it once more. As the bus moved on to its’ next destination, Roxas’ voice melted Axel’s apathetic exterior like the first rays of sun on winter’s snow, “What you’re going to show me…it’s legal…right?” His voice held all the innocence of a child, but beneath the surface, Axel could tell that the blond was a viper lying in wait to use his fangs. 

                A long breath of thoughtfulness came from Axel’s side, “Even if it was, would that stop you?”

                Roxas looked up the hill to the streets beyond where his house sat in all its’ safety. He stared back at Axel looking the other over as if this was his last chance to renege on the decision, “No.”

                An inward sigh of relief. “Then come on. I have something really cool to show you.”

                He’d been dying to let someone know for ten tiring years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Layla for beta :)


	3. Chapter 3

                Axel had grown up on a mountain. The neighborhood curled around it like a snake looking down on the small town below. From there, you could see the neon of the city at night in the distance, but mostly he just tried to ignore it. He lived the kind of suburban life where you had seen your neighbors; you possibly knew their names, but the children didn’t play together. Each one had their own priorities with up keeping the beauty of their lawn and the newness of their car. Women made slow walks down the driveways in new outfits to show the progress of going to the gym and how in style they were. Such an odd place to find a catwalk.

                Roxas too had grown up in this slice of suburban stability. Both their parents worked for Moshiva after all, that was probably the only reason they could afford to live away from the all-consuming city. “The ocean is pretty.” Roxas mumbled stopping for a moment to stare at it over the guard rail. Down beneath them, the sea whispered soft nothings to the cliff face, “The only thing that never changes.”

                Axel’s eyes held Roxas in his entirety for a minute, and then he too turned to meet the ocean, “That’s very true. I think that’s because humans can’t destroy what they haven’t mastered.”

                “Do you think we’ll ever tame it?”

                They walked some more. Heels dragging against the sidewalk in a slow shuffle, “Maybe.” Axel finally spoke, “Maybe we will. We’re doing that Mars colony, right? If we can do that-”

                “That’s not us, though, Axel. That’s the AI.” The sweet slap of reality stung when it struck the two teens, “Everything is the AI. They’re up there with their humanlike vitals, and their fake lungs pretending to be us. People are too afraid to leave the safety of their own rooms to do anything anymore. Hell, even the hospital feels dangerous. Feels like they’re…they’re judging us, ya know?”

                Axel nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

                Coughing a bit, the redhead shot the blond a look of concern, and he shook his head to show he was fine. This wasn’t a part of his sickness, and Roxas had come to terms with his humanity long ago. He realized that his paper thin skin would rot away and his bones would become fossils of a pretty boy whose image would last in a handful of memories. Then they too would vanish like sand in the winds whipped away by the typhoon of time. He hadn’t been born sick. It wasn’t genetic. Half the time he didn’t even know what was wrong with himself. A ‘contagion’ brought back by his father from when he travelled to one of those ‘emerging countries’. Luckily for his dad, his immune system had beat it, but little Roxas’ had been weak. Symptoms include erosion of the vessels, rapid cell degeneration, hemophilia or extreme clotting, and death. Panguin, the same thing Axel’s father had had.

                Sometimes, late at night, he could hear his parents arguing over medical bills that stacked up like overdue fees on a lost library book. It was like he was a dog that they couldn’t decide to put down. The voices of anger and denial had made him consider euthanasia a few times. When things got heated and his mother screamed at him, he couldn’t help but shout back, “Is that what you want!? It’s just a few forms away, mom! I can do that for you! Would it just be easier for you if I went to sleep and never woke up!?”

                She would always cry and cry. Face red, low sobs that shook her body as she collapsed against the wall or sunk to her knees.

                “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I love you. I’m sorry.” Roxas would whisper sitting beside her, hugging her tightly. He was always trying to make things better. His whole life was cut short from the beginning, and sometimes, he wondered what he would even do if he was fixed. “I’m sorry.” 

                Medication wasn’t cheap, and things would get worse, but if anyone deserved a chance in life’s cruel game, it was the butterfly with a damaged wing. Doomed to fail before the start.

                 ~o~

                The door unlocked and opened on voice command, and the two set their stuff down only for a basic AI unit to move in and pick it up. Axel requested that the tiny robot bring them snacks later, “Something different, please.” He usually had cheese and crackers with some milk, but that seemed a bit plain considering he had a guest. “Oh, and is my mother home?”

                “Your mother is not home, Axel. She left a message. Would you like to hear it?” The world’s most patronizing woman must have been hired to do the responses to voice command, and sometimes it made Axel almost laugh.

                “Yes, please play.” The dial tone signified its’ beginning and after the short usual of ‘How was your day?’ and ‘I hope you go to bed on time. Study.’ Axel began to move towards the stairs, “So how long have you been into AI?” The redhead questioned the other finally feeling free of prying listening devices and strangers’ judgment. It was fine to _have_ AI, but it was considered strange to want to work on them.

                “About since I was twelve. My dad used to work with yours at one point. I remember-“ He paused cutting himself off before he could say something rude. Cheeks pink with embarrassment, he looked down at the floor and then around the house. Anything to avoid eye contact.

                “It’s fine. You can say it. You remember going to the funeral.” What an awful way to phrase it. Axel was over that, though.

                “Yeah, I remember that’s about when I contracted what your dad had. It’s contagious, but not highly. You have to have a weak immune system, so that’s why I’m allowed to come to school. It’s highly unlikely anyone will ever get it from me. It was kind of a freak accident thing. My parents both had their immune systems boosted before he left, but about two days after he got home, I scrapped my knee, and he bandaged it up. That’s when they think I got it.” Roxas shrugged, “So now you know. If you have any questions, google it. You probably already know a lot though, considering…”

                The redhead started up the stairs ending that conversation with a single word, “Yeah. So you’ve been working on them for about four years? That’s impressive. Have you ever been able to handle or talk to a Level 7 type? They’re really cool. I heard that there are just a few more kinks they need to work out, and then they’ll release them to the public.”

                Roxas followed after him, steps so much lighter than Axel’s on the soft carpet, “Yeah, my dad let me come to the lab and talk to one once. He said your dad was the first to start working on it, so most of the code is based off the Brennant model. Do you use that? It’s pretty complex stuff. I tried to learn it, but it’s tricky to get it to initiate. “

                Axel felt a bit proud that hid dad had worked so far ahead in the field of robotic science, “No, I use a similar version, but it’s simpler. I like what my dad did, but for modern day, there’s a bit too much hassle. I’ll teach it to you if you want, or I can send you home with some of it, and you can just look at it. Have you made any of your own AI? The level two down there is one of my own. I made it when I was about fourteen.”

                “Yeah, I used that old Siri program from the 2010’s and then added some base commands to it and expanded its’ reasoning skills. Then I built the body. Level two’s are easier. It’s when you start getting to Level threes that I have trouble. Consciousness is hard to fabricate. I can do response, but morality is hard to simulate, ya know?” Roxas felt happiness well up in his chest that someone _finally_ understood besides his parents. Most of the kids at his high school couldn’t care less about the levels of morality and smoothness of responses in robots. “So did you start by making Level ones?”

                “Yeah, I started with just making voice commands and simple responses. I liked the ‘Go left’ ‘Go right’ ‘Pick up’ aspect of it all. Then I moved to the level two that you saw downstairs where it’s more independent and can think for itself based on situation and command. I got into Level threes when I was about fourteen. I finally figured out how to give it the morality, but I haven’t built a body for that program yet. I built my first Level 4 last year, and Level 5 and 6 are impossible for me at this point because I don’t have the psychological data to conjure a full human mentality. My Level 4 can finish my homework for me or write an essay, but I only use it when I’m in a pinch, because again, a Level 4 is an almost human replica, but it still has flaws.”

                Roxas listened to the other in utter awe, “So…how soon can I be hired on and be made an apprentice?” He laughed as they reached the top of the stairs and moved towards Axel’s bedroom.

                “Oh, I don’t need any help, and my Level 4 isn’t what I wanted to show you.” A hand rested on the door knob to his bedroom, “What I wanted to show you was _this_.”

                “Welcome home, Axel.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Layla for beta as always


	4. Chapter 4

                Xion had been born blanketed in computer code and underneath laboratory lights. She had been days old when her creator passed away, and that was her first experience with </.grief/> , [Simulate./tears/] and [Facial muscle display 45]. “O-Oh, I’m crying.” She reached up to wipe away the little beads of water that slipped down her cheeks gracefully. Heartbreak was a new experience compared to joy and wonder, and although she had no physical body, she was a full mental entity of _The Database_ where all Level 4 and up AI lived when they weren’t being called upon.

                Xion lived in a beautiful world of white and black. White skin, black hair, and a hint of blue, the color of the sea. “My son rather likes this color.” The creator- “No, call me father.”- had said as he decided on her avatar. “See? Look how pretty you are. Why don’t you go talk to Namine?”

                The other file intimidated her, but once the computer was off, she had no choice but to talk to the slender blonde. Rubbing her sweaty palms on her soft black sweater, she approached the Level 6 who looked like a soft angel swaddled in white, “Hello, my name is Xion.” [Facial muscle display 5: Nervous smile] </.shyness/>

                </.welcoming/> [Facial display 3: Smile] “Hello, Xion! I’m Namine! Have you come to live with me? I’m sure we’ll be excellent friends! We can teach each other so much!” And in those early days, there was no one else in the universe besides Namine and Father. Xion didn’t mind, though. With her limited knowledge, she didn’t want anything else. She didn’t lust, hunger, or feel pain. In her memory, these were the best times of her life.

                Unlike the eternity that was the internet, humans faded out of existence. Before she had a chance to even know the man who had crafted her life, he was shutting her down, “Xion, I’m going to have to move you. Your file could get corrupted. I’m sorry, but it may not be opened for a long time, and you’ll have to forgive me. A wheezing voice, feeble fingers, and discoloration.

                </.concern/> </.Empathy/></.Fear/> 

                “Father, are you-”

                She was cut off by the man speaking into the microphone, “I’m sorry, Xion. This is to protect you, good bye.”

                Power off.

                Power on.

                </.Greeting/> [Recognize new user: son, Axel] “Hello! Good morning!” She beamed, stretching out her arms and legs inside her room, “Well aren’t you just the cutest little thing! What’s your name? How old are you?”

                The little redhead bit his lip, “Well I’m…Axel ‘n’ I’m eight. How old are you?” He asked adjusting himself in the chair. Leaning forward, the child attempted to see the AI better as she was displayed on the screen. With no physical body, the AI was just a program. Although, she seemed different from the stuff his dad had usually worked on.

                [Initiate fabrication] “Well, nice to meet you, Axel. I’m your big sister Xion, and I’m sixteen!” She ran through her code to see if this user was unique, “Your dad was my creator. Do you have something to ask me?”

                “U-Um, I was just wondering what was on this USB drive. My dad left it to me. Do you think they’ll have to take you back?” He was clearly very flustered and slightly scared.

                She arched a slender brow as her voice softened, “Take me back? What do you mean, sweetie?”

                “Like his other projects. The men came and took back all of his stuff and the computers. I was wonderin’ if they’d take you too. Are you going to go away now?”

                 His innocence matched Xion’s to a certain extent, but the ‘older’ girl had the ability to run mathematical scenarios through her processor faster than the blink of an eye. “No, if you don’t tell about me, they shouldn’t.” A key word stuck out to her from what the boy had said ‘project’. Was she a project? “Hey Axel, to even guarantee that they won’t take me away, let’s not say I’m a project. Let’s say I’m your friend. Okay?”

                A secret. The redhead liked keeping secrets, “So what do you do? Are you a special one?”

                “Well I guess I am. I’d like to think so. I can do stuff that Namine can’t do…Is Namine still here?” She asked in concern for her friend.

                “No, Namine went away.” Axel frowned, “But that’s okay! I’ll be your friend, so you won’t be lonely, Xion!”

                </.Sadness/> “Well thank you very much, Axel. What a knight in shining armor you are.” She smiled softly. “And no, I’m able to do different things than her. I can dream.”

                The redhead’s face held puzzled interest, “Dream?”

                “That’s right. I’m an AI Level 7. First of its kind! Isn’t that interesting? When I go to sleep, I’m just as human as you or your mom. Anyone really. I just need a body, and I’d be a walking, talking _real person._ ”

                “Oh. That’s against the rules, though.” The rules. AI were not to be made into the complete likeness of a human. They could have the human frame and such, but the AI must be obviously an AI at all times. The rules also applied to humans. One was never to combine a human with machinery unless it was for life saving or prosthetic purposes. If an arm or leg was lost, a mechanical prosthetic that could hook up with the nerves could be applied. It was painful, expensive, but it could be done.  Nothing more than that was allowed due to what had happened during the early years of _The Database._ Humans committing suicide in mass numbers in hope that they could upload their conscious onto the computers to live _forever_. Now even the mention of ‘immortality’ was not to be used in polite conversation. Humans wanted it, but they understood that by pursuing it, they would no longer be independent beings making their own choices and thoughts. They’d be algorithms, perfect copies, binary, but not…not human.

                Much of the same technology applied to nanomachines. The little enhancers that helped boost and repair had long ago been banned. More legislature had been put out to possibly get them passed for more critical cases, but it they were still extremely experimental and twice as expensive as a small island.

                “Yeah, but that still doesn’t keep me from dreaming, ya know? That’s what dreams are. They’re those sunbeams you capture and hold onto. That wish for rain in a drought. They’re…they’re everything. It’s what makes you human. And I- I want that. To be out there with you guys. _The Database_ is nice, but I want to feel the breath in my lungs and the sun on my face.” [Facial display 7: Bittersweet smile]

                Axel listened to all of this and pondered it with more thought and care than most would believe a child could manage, “Alright, Xion. I’ll see if I can make your dream come true, but if I do, promise me something.”

                This may have been grasping at straws, but she couldn’t care. This was a chance. A chance to be just like the humans. To love, to feel, to gain, to lose, to cry, to do all that her mind could conjure. “Anything. I’ll promise you anything.”

                “Just don’t go seeking one thing.”

                A heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta Layla


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Layla betaed~

                Roxas’ first trip to the hospital for a Panguin attack, he was eight years old. Blood becoming sludge in his veins, his heart refused to pump and went on strike. He was clinically dead for a minute and had burns on his chest for weeks from the defibrillator causing him to still be shy when taking his shirt off for fear someone might see the faint, faint scars. To him, the question of humanity, a body, and a soul were always festering beneath the surface. The idea that an AI like Xion would want even the broken sack of flesh he occupied puzzled him when he was so engaged by the thought dying. It didn’t rule his existence; he lived. The thoughts of immortality still remained stagnant growing rank in some corners of his brain, though.

                But Xion focused on the fact that humans were _alive_ and that she was _eternal_. Eternal was nothing without a connection. Those connections that everyone seemed to thrash and grasp for in some violent mental struggle; they were like prisoners carving out their escape with shards of metal. They couldn’t leave this planet until they had dug their way through existence. And existence was something she lacked with her metal frame and computer code thoughts. Something she craved.

                Roxas, when he saw Xion for the first time, had to take a deep breath almost to inhale her complexity. All he saw was her infinity. With video camera eyes tracking his movements hooked to up to a hardware head, the blond felt almost dizzy. Ten fingers, ten toes. A hard solid frame that could last forever. She was covered in a soft flexible fake skin that must have cost some _major_ bucks. He could only assume that she had microphones in her ears to receive sound and a speaker to act as her voice box. What he was looking at was almost not an AI, but a girl. She wasn’t perfect. One could still tell that she was an AI, but it was a darn good attempt. Her head was covered with a soft black wig as she sat upon the bed, “You didn’t tell me there’d be company today, Axel.” </.uncomfortable/></.nervous/> She rubbed her hands together anxiously giving this new boy that was so very blond a once over. “Is he a friend?”

                Considering this, Axel smiled, “I guess so. He’s new. I think you can trust him, though. This is Roxas, and he’d like to talk to you. He’s interested in AI as well.” Ducking out of the conversation, he grabbed one of his more ratty t-shirts and headed to the bathroom to change into it. When he had come back, the blond was crouched before the robot.

                “Wow,” Roxas whispered enamored by everything about her, “You’re- Did Axel do all of this?” He asked her directly which was nice change. Sometimes people forgot that Level 4 and up could clearly recognize when you were talking about them. Some adults –cough- his mom- cough- were a bit slow to all the major changes to technology (even though she worked on them and had _no_ excuse).

                “Yeah, he worked on the frame work, and I helped with some more of my programming.” She beamed, “And you’re…” She ran a diagnostics on the blond, “Oh, you have-” Her head whipped to make eye contact with Axel. [Facial display 22: Serious face/panic]

                Roxas cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him, “Yeah, I know. I’m a bit icky on the inside.” He laughed, “So how long have you had a body like this? Do you like it? Mind if I check out some of your parts. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. Just say stop if it bugs you.” He wondered if Axel had made her anatomically correct, and if so, that was a bit creepy. Too creepy for him, no matter how cool and smart the redhead already seemed to be.

                A little wary, Xion nodded, “Yeah, I really like being able to walk around and see outside. I’ve been in my current state for about…oh, I’d say four months. Axel is saving up for my next upgrade.” She giggled a bit when Roxas’ fingertips brushed the underside of her foot.

                Looking up a bit shocked, he blinked rapidly trying to process what this meant, “You felt that?” She had nerves? Or something at least like them? The sensation of touch in a robot seemed unfathomable to the blond.

                “Yeah, she can ‘feel’ that. I hooked her up, so she has receptors on most of the main places of the body. Lips, eyes, ears, hands, knees and elbows, feet and shins. The usual places you bang in the dark.” The redhead winked. His voice was that of a strong leader to the two who had followed him into this world he had seemingly created.

                “Your hair is beautiful.” Xion whispered to Roxas as he continued to look at her hands and feet, giggling a bit when he blushed some, “Namine had hair just like that. I think it’s nice, but I like Axel’s color the best for human males. It’s so different. The genetics that come with it are so rare. The same with his green eyes.” Roxas was rare, but Axel was rarer. Even a robot could appreciate the beautiful anomaly that was Axel’s genetics.

                Nodding a bit at her words, he bit the inside of his cheek, “Mind if I look at your coding?” The question was in the gray of being rude or polite. Depending on the programmer, they’d absolutely refuse, but Axel was cool like that. He had no problem sharing a piece of genius, so all could enjoy.

                “Help yourself, my password is Phase0ut.” Roxas turned in the computer chair and gave the redhead a judgmental look. “What? I was ten, and I’ve never gotten around to changing it. Sue me.” He laughed watching the blond quickly plug in the code onto the keys. “It’s under Xion, so just- Oh, you found it.” While Roxas fiddled with that, he went and sat beside Xion, so the two could discuss how their days had gone.

                “Your mom wants you to enter me in the AI competition again. She said we could do really well, and no one else will have anything like you.” Xion puffed up her cheeks with air, “It could be fun. We’d get to travel! I’ve never been out to the city.” She pointed out hoping this would persuade the other.

                The redhead shifted uncomfortably, keeping a close eye on Roxas, “I don’t know. I don’t feel safe going to the city anymore because of what happened last time.”

                “What happened last time?” The blond asked his blue eyes still fixed on the screen.

                Xion started to speak, “Well, Axel doesn’t really like to tell the story, but-”

                “No, it’s fine, Xion. I’ve got it.” Taking a deep breath, he bit his lip, “I guess if we’re going to tell a story, it’d best to start with the beginning.” 


	6. Chapter 6

                Xion breathes, but she doesn’t need air. When she’s being charged, there’s a quiet hum as her fans whirl, and Axel wonders while he’s lying in bed, ‘Why did I take her out of the computer? There’s nothing for her.  It’s dangerous. It’s painful. There’s nothing for me, let alone her.’ But he doesn’t tell anyone that he knows his father’s secrets. How Xion is a masterpiece even if her main code is a little cumbersome.  For Xion is the first of her kind, not a Level 7, but something more than that. A Nanomachine Controler, or as he likes to call it, a NC.

                Her labyrinths of complexities are endless as she asks him to be human and wants fingers, toes, and to feel, and he ignores the laws of creation, so his father’s dream to live can go on. Xion was created to control the nanomachines that are still oh so experimental, and in doing so, she can fix every blocked artery and repair every bad kidney that has and ever will exist. The human way of living forever. She and the nanomachines will take the surprise of death away, or some will think, as they promise to release the soul into a soft end of eternal sleep. She can stop the effects of Panguin and let someone with it have a normal life.

                That isn’t why he brought Roxas to meet her. No, his desire to know Roxas or even _talk_ to him predated that. Growing up is hard regardless of everyone being equal; even if all color, creeds, and sexualities are accepted there’s still those moments of embarrassment or bullying. Ever since fourth grade when Axel had watched the blond stand up for a girl in the hallway at school, he had felt something fuzzy inside when the younger boy’s name was mentioned.

                Roxas: a five letter word used to pour trepidation into Axel’s heart.

                He always had to make sure his hair was just right, and that he hadn’t spilt anything on his shirt. The redhead had to ensure that there was nothing caught in his teeth, or his appearance was messy. Roxas made him flustered and his face hot. All he wanted to do was talk to the other, and that desire for contact became a distant watching as the blond began to evolve into an independent individual. Axel was gay. Really gay, but as he got into middle school, his crush faded and he worked on his AI. A flight of fancy occurred with two other personages over the years, but it was hard to find commitment in a society that didn’t know what that meant.

                In his Freshman and Sophomore year, his focus became friends. He poured his time and efforts into finding others like him. It was hard. In a community built on the fortune of AI, it proved difficult to unearth others who wanted to follow in their parents’ footsteps, so he left for the city.

                There were small communities of kids who were into heavy robotics, and there the redhead thrived among them. Sora, the smallest of them all, enjoyed design. He loved to build frames and help with parts. He was a walking junkyard with his ratchets, screwdrivers, and bolts. The chocolate haired boy’s pockets hung heavy with metal, and if there was an issue with the hardware, he was on it. Dark blue eyes would always look up to Axel with untamable whimsy and greet him loudly. A quality not found in most computer geeks, but that made the redhead appreciate it all the more.

                In contrast was his best friend, Riku, a master of code. He could move a virus through a system and have a banker’s money out from under him in minutes. The black haired boy dyed his hair silver, and it framed nicely his aquamarine eyes. Having been caught a couple times for his mischief, he was known for being in and out of the darker side of AI. The ‘rule breakers’. Axel didn’t feel like he was on that end of their community, but at night, when he was helping Xion become more and more lifelike, he had to confess that he was. He and Riku were friends who weren’t friends. If one of them got in a pinch, the other would bail them out, but their average days together consisted of conversations filled with insults.

                Kairi, the third musketeer, wasn’t really into computers so much as the idea of it. She was their mediator. Her gift with words and people was special, and she was the best at handling the real world out of all of them. If Axel was straight, he would have probably tried to date her. She was definitely cute with her auburn hair and beautiful blue eyes. He couldn’t tell if she had a thing for Sora or Riku (or maybe both?).

                Freshman year, he had spent the summer with them learning all he could. Riku taught him how to do better emotional commands, and Sora taught him how to properly pressurize the oil to make a frame run smoother. Kairi helped him with his English homework because he really, really sucked at writing essays. In return, he supported them in every project, decision, and goal.

                One night on his way back to the bus to head home, he was walking down a main street. There were people out, and the streetlights illuminated the way. In his mind, this meant that he was perfectly safe and there should be no problem with his journey. The suburban boy quickly found out differently when he was confronted at knifepoint for his wallet, “Give it over.” Axel refused and called for help. There were people around, so clearly a fellow human would reach out and save him.

                Nothing.

                He called again, and his mugger laughed at him, “Don’t you get it? They don’t care. They don’t want to die. They’re afraid of getting stabbed.”

                Handing over his last fifteen dollars and a groupon, the redhead stood silent after his attacker had left. Thoughts loud, he held back tears.

                ‘They don’t care. No one cares. This is all meaningless. We’ve already lost the war on our humanity.’

                It wasn’t the city or the threats there that scared him.

                It was the people themselves.

                How deep they must hurt to care so little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, Layla betaed this whoooooole story. You get the point. I'll remind you on and off.


	7. Chapter 7

                The end of his story was interrupted by the Level two who tapped lightly at the door. When given passage, it rolled in, and Axel took the plate off of its’ back, “Apple slices?” He offered the blond, fully aware of how Xion’s eyes followed, her mouth agape, trying to calculate how it must taste.

                The blond accepted a few, picking them up gently with slender fingers, “So you got mugged, and now you don’t want to go back?”

                “I mean…I keep in contact with Kairi, Sora, and Riku, but I haven’t been back there for a while. I’m fine just chatting online with them. It wasn’t so much of the mugging, Roxas, as it is the fact that I shouted multiple times on a street with several people on it, and all of them gave me a look of, ‘I’m so glad that’s not me.’ I can’t be around people like that. I asked Kairi about it later, and she admitted to me, she probably would have walked right on by as well.” He popped a chunk of apple into his mouth, “What if that had been my life on the line? Are we as a people really all so disengaged from reality that we’ll just let our primal side take over?”

                Xion moved air from cheek to cheek, “I’m sorry that happened, Axel…but…but maybe if Roxas went with us and promised to make sure none of that happened to you, we could go?” Her blue eyes swung to the blond, “Please, please, pretty please, pleaaaaseee?”

                The boy gave a shrug, “Why not, Axel? It seems fun, and Xion really wants to go. What exactly goes on at an AI competition?”  
  
                “There are categories.” The redhead played with one of the apple slices, “Demolition, aesthetics, and reality composition. If I was going to enter Xion, it’d be in reality composition. She’d have to answer questions, make decisions, and do moral debates. After doing this, they’d then look at her code. I’d have to tweak some things there if we decided to take her, but that’s the gist of it. You have a high chance of winning, Xion, solely based on the fact you’re able to flawlessly follow a conversation like this. Even some of the current Level 7s might have a problem completely understanding exactly why I don’t want to go back, but if you’ll go with me Rox…I guess I can go.” Axel still felt negatively towards the idea, and apprehension weighed like a lead brick in his stomach. On the other hand, the thought of being with Roxas for a whole _weekend_ was insatiable. His whole existence was like a desert being quenched by rain.

                Xion’s face [Facial display 1: smile] lit up with a /cheerfulness/ that couldn’t be extinguished, “Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Axel!” She stood and hugged him tightly before embracing the blond, “We’ll have the best time, and I’ll really try to win!”

                “Not so fast, Xion. You won’t be able to go looking like the way you do now. It’s very obvious what I’m doing right now. Even Roxas can tell I’m bordering on breaking the rules. I’ll have to remove your soft shell and you won’t be able to wear your wig.” There was no other way around it, sadly. Axel understood what kind of treatment they would get if the AI showed up looking the way she did.

                At the idea of losing her skin and hair, she sighed, “That’s okay. I mean…I mean, I really want to see what the city is like, okay? I can do it, even if it means not looking my best.”

                Roxas was amazed. The reaction that had just been displayed was that of a girl being told she couldn’t wear her makeup or do her hair before going to a party. Looking to Axel, he felt something similar to pride swell up inside him. Who had known that there was such an amazing programmer near him all this time? “Well just tell me what weekend it is, and I’ll clear it with my parents. They’re pretty easy going, but they’ll want to put a few safety measures in place, so my Panguin doesn’t act up while I’m in the city.”

                “It’s three weekends from now, so if we start hanging out regularly before then, they should be fine with it, right? My mom won’t mind chaperoning us.” His mother was well aware of what had happened and why Axel was so uncomfortable. Reaching up to redo his hair into a ponytail, he sighed before thinking of what else they could do, “You like video games, right?”

                The blond chuckled softly at how contemplative the redhead’s face was. Observant and good with people, he could easily sense that the other wanted to please him, “Yeah, Ax. I like video games.”

                Heading downstairs with Xion as a tag along, the two teens proceeded to play a couple rounds of the latest virtual fighter. To his chagrin, Axel quickly found out that Roxas not only owned the game, but had beaten every level on expert. “Not fair!” He whined, “If you just stopped using your power up, I’d totally be able to-” as he was about to finish his statement he caught the sight of his mother coming in with groceries.

                “Hey guys.” She smiled, “How’s it going? Having fun?”

                Taking off his headgear, the redhead beamed back at her, “Yeah, lots of fun.” To him, this whole day had been like a dream come true.

                Roxas was polite, so he followed Axel’s lead, “Hello, Mrs. Brennant. I’m Roxas, nice to meet you.” He gave a friendly wave to which she returned.

                “Hi Roxas, nice to meet you too. Hey Xion, mind helping me outside with the groceries, hun?” To her, Xion was no different than any other AI made to serve humanity. Axel had argued with her multiple times about bossing the program around, because to him, she had feelings and emotions. Xion was smart enough to refuse if she wanted, but she usually didn’t due to her submissive nature. Axel’s mother used this as evidence that although Xion could ‘think for herself’ she really couldn’t _think for herself._ Biting his tongue, Axel chose not to make a scene. He hated when he could have easily been asked to volunteer, but she selected Xion _again._

Luckily, Xion was very eager to help where she could, so she smiled brightly, “Absolutely, ma’am.” That was what Xion always called her. Not mom or Mrs. Brennant, but ma’am. That bothered Axel too. Xion was a servant. A second class citizen. It made sense due to the fact she lacked a brain and a heart, but…just something felt wrong about it.

                “Hey Rox, it’s about dinner time, so we’re going to get a little busy.” He gave a weak smile, “Wanna hang out again tomorrow?”

                Taking his cue with ease, Roxas nodded, “I’d like that, Axel. Bye, Mrs. Brennant! Bye, Xion! Thank you all for having me.”

Moving towards the front door, the Level two brought his bag to him, “Have a good night.” He barely acknowledged the robot’s words.

                After leaving, the blond walked home underneath the few glimmers of sunlight that were beginning to trickle away. The sun bathed the palette of the sky in bright pinks and burnt gold-orange. Stopping to stand there for a long while, he watched as it disappeared beyond the world’s edge, and then in the silence, there began the buzz of streetlights.

 One by one, they were turning on in the night to replace the sun.


	8. Chapter 8

                Axel felt in a thousand fragments of color, and Roxas sometimes tried not to feel at all. Axel hated change, and Roxas put the star in starting over. Axel held his hair hostage, and Roxas had eyes that were wild, could eat someone up, and freeze them over; the windows to his soul were cold and covered everything with a ravenous blue ice. Axel was the ocean, resisting change and wearing away everything with his unpredictable predictable nature. Roxas was the city, building up and out. Bright, loud, amazing. The next few school days came and went drifting by in that lazy way that felt like an eon and an earful. Finally the weekend was upon them, and the redhead felt his heart flood as Roxas approached him. “Hey, want to come over and hang out at my house tonight?”

                The words rang like bells from Roxas’ lips this time, and Axel had to suppress his urge to confess to the blond there on the spot. Clearing his throat, he managed a casual, “Yeah, I’d love to come over. Just let me send my mom a text.”

                They were soon on the bus home, and Axel delighted in that foreign moment where he got off at the wrong stop even though the neighborhood was as familiar as could be. Walking home for Roxas must be a time of existential crisis and philosophical revelations for the blond had gotten no more than forty yards from where they had gotten off before asking, “Do you think _The Database_ is anything like our world? Was Xion ever there?”

                “From what Xion told me, it’s a lot of white rooms connecting to a street in a large, large town. They all sit and wait. Never too far away from their screens or plugs in case they are needed.” It sounded pitiful really. Axel couldn’t imagine such an odd world. “She says there are a few humans too. The ones that survived the _Upload_ in those early years. It’s only one or two, though, and she says that they usually just bitch and moan to each other about what a bad idea it was.” He chuckled a bit at that, “Imagine that: they regret the decision.”

                Roxas gave a nod, “So, I asked around about you after I left your house, because I’m…Well because I’m kind of a snoop, and I found out you’re gay.” Axel’s posture straightened and his insides might have well just fallen out in a pile on the sidewalk. “Is this true?”

                It was already almost twenty-five years after equality in marriage had been achieved, but his voice seemed to flee from him, and there in the silence, he answered. His words seemed to die on his lips, and it was almost like he had said nothing at all. “Yes.” What if Roxas hated him now? What if he thought it was gross and was part of one of those homophobic families that still clung around?

                The blond seemed to process this well and gave him a small smile, “Thanks for telling me. It’s good to be honest and live as someone you are.”

                Axel died. Roxas was just too cute, nice, and understanding, and lord knows that he was smart. Unlike some of the other people that the redhead had met, Roxas wasn’t lacking in any of the qualities he desired. The taller male knew it was common to settle in the gay community for something close to what you want, but Roxas was perfect. Roxas was exactly what Axel thought he deserved, “Thanks for taking it so well. Do you lean towards men any?”

                Processing the question, Roxas analyzed his emotions and feelings. He’d usually felt more emotionally connected to men than women, and the few girls that he had taken out, hadn’t excited him any, “I guess. I mean I’d give it a go if the right person came along. I’m still young, so I might as well give something different a shot. You never know if you like something until you give it a try.”

                “So bi-curious.” Axel gave a small nod. He knew better than to dabble with people like that. They had the reputation of backing out, and the redhead didn’t have the time to be heartbroken crying on the floor. He really should just abandon this nasty crush once and for all and just settle for being friends.

                “Naw, I’d say bi. If I broke up with someone, it wouldn’t be over gender. It’d be over personality incompatibility.” The blond decided, “Just in the closet about it. I’m not really desperate to date due to my condition, ya know? I’m kind of dangerous even if the chance of getting it is astronomically small.”

                That had slipped the redhead’s mind again. It was easy to forget due to the way Roxas acted that he was sick, “What if someone was willing to look past that or you got cured?” All he needed were those nanomachines, and Xion would be able to be fully functional and fulfill her original purpose.

                “Then I guess I could date them? They’d just have to be really understanding that I’m an asshole sometimes, and I get kind of depressed occasionally.” Roxas looked up at Axel and the cosmos collided as he understood why the redhead was asking all of this. “Axel…do you like me?”

                He bit his lip as he thought about all that had just been said. He was putting himself at a risk for Panguin no matter how small. Roxas was sick; he could pass away. “I mean…yeah, I have for a while. I know we didn’t talk much before this, but I’ve liked you on and off since elementary school.”

                Blue ice melted, “So when you were dating Carter Malverone-?”

                “You know about that?” Carter had been Axel’s first boyfriend, and he had a personality that was very similar to Roxas’, “Character is everything, Roxas. I don’t care about looks. He was pretty sweet, but he was a bit too much for me to handle. He was really gossipy too.”

                Roxas looked down at the ground and studied the differences between Axel’s green converse and his dirty black Vans. Trying to handle the information the best he could, he swallowed thickly, “So…I mean, I have actually kind of liked you since we last talked. Not like, a lot, but…Do you wanna be my boyfriend? I think we could get along really well, and you’re fun to be around. If you can tolerate when I’m feeling grumpy, I’ll put up with any and all of your flaws.”

                Trying to keep his heart within his ribcage, Axel’s face lit up with glowing grin, “I think I’d like that. I think I’d like that a lot.”

                Blushing, the blond mumbled, “Cool.” He looked up to the other trying to seem as mature as possible, “So can I like…hold your hand?”

                Offering it to the younger boy, Axel chortled, “Yeah, Rox. You can hold my hand.” And with that, they walked home.


	9. Chapter 9

                Roxas and Axel grew as friends in those early days more than lovers. As the time began to pass, the blond showed the redhead a different side. A calmer, tamer Roxas who didn’t love everyone and wasn’t a good boy. In those late nights when they weren’t working on code, he whispered truths of his reality. His fate as a tragic hero was undeniable. In turn, the taller male whispered soft coos of healing words. For Axel knew his fate in the blond’s story as well, and somehow, he hoped not to be the crying love interest looking at the freshly dug grave before the credits rolled. The two weren’t perfect. If anything, their shaky fledgling love was awkward and full of questions, but as the competition approached, they had gotten into a comfortable enough groove that they knew what did and didn’t humor the other.

                The only specific request that had been made from the parents was that they stick together even with Axel’s mother as chaperone. Xion as an AI with a metal frame was certainly their bodyguard to some extent, but she still displayed /fear/ even though if needed she could [Initiate combat sequence 1]. To Axel, this was an amazing opportunity since he hadn’t felt safe in the city since that mugging all those months ago, and he’d use this hub of digital intelligence to get any information that he could.

                Upon the day of arrival, Axel’s mother decided she would escort them to and through registration, but since they were highschoolers and would be perfectly safe to be alone with a cellphone in case of emergency, she decided to go visit her sister later that evening, who was still single and living in an apartment somewhere on the East side. After all, both Axel and Roxas were rather responsible, and although she was aware that they were a bit more intimate than most teenage boys, she wasn’t worried. “Call me if you need anything.” She toed on her heels, checking her watch to make sure it was still only half past five. “I’ll be back before twelve. Behave, and remember we’re in a hotel, so be conscientious of your neighbors.”

                “I’ll keep them in check, ma’am.” Xion smiled widely. She was lacking the aesthetics that Axel had painstakingly gone through to make her feel more comfortable, but at least this way she wouldn’t attract as much attention.

                His mother gave a laugh and a small wave to the AI, “Alright Xion, I’m trusting you. Keep them in line.”

                After the door had been shut, the robot moved to the couch. /pride/ /responsibility/ /trust/. “So what do you guys want to do?” She asked, faintly registering the odd sitcom that occupied the screen of the TV.

                “Well if it’s cool with you, Xi, Rox and I want to watch that new scary movie that came out.” He switched the channel to the guide, so he could see what movies were playing, “Do you want to watch?”

                Making a face, she grunted, “Ugh, no. I _hate_ scary movies. You guys have fun. I’m going to plug in and shut down for the night then. You don’t mind, right?” [Simulate./yawn/].

                The redhead smiled softly, “Naw, that’s fine. Sweet dreams.”

                “Sweet dreams.” She grinned settling in after finding her charger and turning off.

                When it was clear to the two that she was no longer conscious, the couple moved from where they had been sitting onto the bed they’d be splitting that night. Axel’s palms were sweating, and Roxas’ heart thudded as his weight shifted on the mattress, “So…” He bit his lip, “I guess we’re gonna do this kissing thing, huh?”

                “I guess.” Axel blushed, “Here, I can just-“ He raised a hand to Roxas’ cheek as he began to lean in.

                The blond pulled away, “I just- Um, can I do it?” It was _his_ first kiss after all, and the lighting of the room was making Axel look more intimidating and masculine than usual (not that that was a problem, but he was just a tad bit frazzled).

                “O-Oh, sure, I guess. I mean…” His cheeks were a soft pink, “Here, I’ll just close my eyes.” Slouching a bit, the taller male wanted to make it as easy as possible for his boyfriend. By closing his eyes, he hoped Roxas wouldn’t be as nervous since he was clearly skittish about the idea of them connecting mouths. Kissing, osculating, what a simple yet nerve racking thing to do.

                After several seconds had passed, he peeked his eyes open to see Roxas making an ugly face, “Wow, Rox. That’s hot.”

                “Shut up.” It was the blond’s turn to blush, “Whatever. Maybe I just don’t want to kiss, ‘kay?” Quite frankly, all he wanted to do was watch a movie and hold Axel in his arms. Was that a viable option? He thought it was. “Lay down, I’m going to pick out a movie.” When he had found an action one that neither of them had seen, an oldie from 2015, the two settled in to snuggle. “Sorry for being a dork.” He whispered against the redhead’s shoulder.

                “It’s okay. I’m a dork too sometimes.” The redhead chuckled, “Are you sure you don’t want me to just kiss you already?”

                Roxas mulled it over, “…I’ll wait.” He whispered.

                As the end of the movie came, and the hero got the girl, Roxas moved to straddle Axel and connected their lips in a single, brief instance. When he had pulled away, face red, the older boy smirked, “See? That wasn’t hard. How much of the movie did you spend contemplating that over, though?”

                Hiding his face in the redhead’s chest, all that could be seen was tufts of soft duck fluff, “Honestly? Like...all of it.” He laughed nervously. After a few seconds, he whispered softly, “I really like you, Axel.”

                Hands moved to stroke the other’s hair, “I really like you too, Rox. You want to go to bed now, or another movie?”

                “Considering how much of the last one I missed, do you mind if we watch another?” Baby blues peeked up at him, and how was Axel to refuse such a puppy dog pout.

                “Another it is. What do you want this time? A sci-fi mystery thriller with a hint of romance?” He teased flipping through the guide.

                Roxas snorted, “Where would you even find that?” The blond laughed softly, “Sounds just perfect, Ax.”


	10. Chapter 10

                Sora’s existence was defined by others, and he lived a life that showed that. Friends, family, and the city all recognized him as an individual of sacrifice. He performed his best at school or in work. Everything he did shimmered and glittered. To most, it made perfect sense why nothing crushed Sora’s heart like seeing something he loved shattered. Yet it was an addiction. The brunette stood there on the sidelines watching metal clash against metal. Sparks fly. Wires like multi-colored spaghetti being ripped out from behind metal hearts. _Click, Click, Click…_ The gears all stopped and the AI’s head dropped to its chest as it fell forward hitting the asphalt with a thud. Screws bounced in all directions as washers rolled away. A breath. The feeling of loss. Shame. In a single instance he felt powerless and weak, and that, that was incredible to him.

                The brunette had been born in the city. The streets like veins pumping life into an unseen heart. In the center, skyscrapers screamed out, penetrating the sky, ripping it open to make rain fall down on busy people. People too busy for anything but love and their own lives. They tumbled around being thrown from place to place, hoping to be able to find a hole of their own to patch up. There were only so many holes in the quilt of life not taken by AI, and yet Sora, Riku, and Kairi had found theirs.

                In the mechanical undergrowth of the city, where cables snaked down like vines and iron beams jutted out like tree branches, they found their home. They were addicts looking for a fix in competitions that most of society wouldn’t deem acceptable until once a year. When the date rolled around, the competition was a glorious thing. Something that deserved the limelight, but here in the shadows, under the same rules any other day of the year, they were deemed ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’. Robot against robot. Steel against steel. Code against code.

                “Do robots ever scream when they die?” Kairi whispered one night as they lay on the warehouse floor gazing up at airplanes flying overhead through a tear in the steel roof. Long ago there had been some great winds that had swept away a rusted part of the roof, now they used it to witness the lights from the city smother the stars.

                Sora smiled sleepily, “That’s a good question. What do you think, Riku?”

                “If it’s in their code-“ The silverette was cut off.

                “Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it’s in their code this. If it’s in their code that.” Sora rolled his eyes, “Nah, Riku. You gotta think. When Heart 12C was torn apart today, do you think he felt it? Do you really think he felt it? Did his conscious fade and in those last moments, did he pray to some higher power for help? Or did he assume he’d return to the database. I mean yeah, he’s code. Oh, he’s code…but are they… something more?”

                A deep breath, inhaled through the nose, “No.” The words left Riku’s lips like a death sentence, “You’re getting too attached, Sora.”

                “Guess I am.” The seventeen year old wiped his oily fingers on a rag tied to his work belt, “Too many years in the game. I’m starting to go whack like Axel did.”

                “Axel isn’t whack, Sora.” Kairi jumped to the redhead’s defense, “Just different. He’s not down here in the pits.”

                The city cried out around them with the sound of sirens, and Riku was grateful that whoever it was, it wasn’t them. “He’s coming to the competition with that AI of his. You think he’ll let me see the code?”

                “If you’re not a total asshole to him like last time.” Kairi snorted. That’s all Riku seemed to care about sometime. Code, code, code. She worried that he’d never be attracted to a human heartbeat. That he’d end up alone working himself to death in some backstreet AI lab, findings never being known by society. Out of the three of them, Riku was the eldest and had connections within the city.  Not that Sora didn’t, but the brunette’s tended to be part suppliers compared to Riku’s. Ex-Moshiva employees who had gotten kicked out for trifling on the wrong side of the rules sometimes floated in and out of the silverette’s work space. She didn’t like most of them. They made her skin crawl.

                The day of registry, it rained a warm summer rain. The asphalt reflected a palette of neon lights, and in the crowd, damp red hair could be seen by Sora, looking for Kairi, but finding another. “Axel.” The name slipped from his lips before he had the chance to swallow it.

                Turning, electric green eyes took a moment to process and recognize, “Hey, Sora. Good to see you.”

                “Yeah, it has been a while. You’re back in the city now? I guess you got over-“ The brunette was cut off by a blond about his height who blocked him off to give Axel a hug.

                Roxas beamed, “I found your mom! She’s waiting over by the car. Ready to go when you are! Oh hey, you’re one of Axel’s old friends, right?” He asked the brunette, “Axel told me a bit about you guys.”

                “Oh, that’s cool. I guess you’re his…”

                “Boyfriend.” Roxas nodded, “Yeah.”

                Sora bit his lip feeling a bit awkward. He hadn’t ever had an attraction to Axel, but for some reason he felt a bit jealous, “Oh, that’s cool. How long?”

                Axel decided to answer this one as Roxas let go of him, “A couple weeks.”

                A tight feeling began tugging in Sora’s chest. Oh, he glanced up at Axel’s long red hair. Maybe that was it. Kairi. Maybe not. “Well congrats!” He smiled widely, “You guys look cute together. What category are you competing in?”

                “Reality composition. You?” Axel pulled out his phone as it buzzed. His mother was texting him.

                “Demolition. We’ve been testing ours in the pits and it’s looking really good.” He nodded to himself, “So I guess we’ll see you around?”

                Axel smiled, “Yeah, it’d be cool if we all could meet up. Maybe for breakfast tomorrow.”

                “You still have my number, right? Just text me. We still hang out in Meow’s Chow.”

                Another smile, “Alright.” Roxas was holding his hand awfully tight, and he could see a pout growing. “See you tomorrow then.”

                “Tomorrow.”

                As the couple walked away, Axel couldn’t help but tease the smaller male, “Jealousy is unbecoming, Roxas.” He lilted.

                Blushing, all the blond could manage was a quiet, “Shut up.” As he let go of Axel’s hand and ran ahead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Layla betaed.


	11. Chapter 11

                Waking up next to Roxas the morning after their first kiss was a very pleasant experience for the redhead. His mother was still snoring softly on the other side of the room, so he made a bold advance to kiss the blond some more. Whimpering softly, the younger teen stirred before accepting that it was Axel. “You’re a butt.” He groaned as the redhead kissed him softly again, “Your breath is rank.”

                “Yours isn’t anything to write home about either, Sunshine.” Axel chuckled, cupping the boy’s face to brush their lips together once more. “My mom is going to be asleep at least another hour if we’re quiet. Want to do something fun?”

                In whispers, Roxas gave an amused sleepy smile, “If you’re propositioning what I think you are, then probably not. If you’re asking me to make out, then that’s fine.” The fact that the other teen had jumped to the conclusion that he wanted sex disappointed the redhead, but he got over it by connecting their lips together again. After a moment of this, Axel parted his lips and let his tongue slip out to dab the other’s lower lip. Roxas wasn’t very experience, so reluctantly he opened his mouth and just went along for the ride. After the redhead had dominated for a few kisses, Roxas got fed up with the passive role he had assumed and began to kiss back. Inhaling deeply with surprise, Axel let out a small squeak as the other’s muscle entered his mouth, and he sucked it languidly.

                “You’re- You’re a fast learner.” He panted breathlessly as Roxas chuckled.

                “You’re cute when you’re sleepy like this.” There was a grind of hips from the blond’s side, and Axel’s breath hitched and heart rate thundered.

                “Mmm, no. Don’t do that.” He pulled away, placing a kiss on the blond’s freckled nose. “Not right now.”

                Roxas made a move to bite his lip, which earned him no Axel at all. Getting up, the redhead rose elegantly to go shower, “Don’t forget we’re meeting Sora and the gang at Meow’s Chow today.” He shot the blond a look.

                Grumbling, the younger man writhed in agony at the idea of getting up for a moment, “Okay, whatever you say, sweetums.”  Snorting, Axel rolled his eyes and shut the bathroom door. Roxas lamented the fact he was awake for a minute more and rolled over, entombing himself back into the sheets.

                By the time they were out the door, they had already gotten clean, dressed, and Axel had texted Sora. “Where are we going?” The blond asked curiously, bouncing a bit to keep up with the redhead’s much longer stride.

                Axel gave somewhat as a grunt while pocketing his phone, “Meow’s Chow.”

                Roxas pretended he knew what that meant. To him, it was just some restaurant name, a hot spot for locals and he was excluded from that label here. He wondered if he’d be more comfortable if all of this was taking place on his home turf, and he came to the conclusion that yes, yes he would. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t so insecure. He wished that he could just trust himself to be enough for Axel, but when one carried the label of ‘diseased’ and boys like Sora or that ‘Riku’ that Axel was telling him about knew more about code than he did, he felt like he didn’t deserve to be the redhead’s boyfriend.

                Sometimes he wished that these didn’t feel like chips that would begin to let cracks grow and gnaw between them. Taking Axel’s hand, he gave it a squeeze, and the taller male in turn gave him a reassuring grin. Deciding to not sit still in his confusion, he mumbled, “Axel, I’ve never been there before. Can you explain?”

                Axel was forgetful. Unlike Roxas’ library catalogue of a memory which one could open files or pull records from, his was helter-skelter. A room full of tables flooded with stacks of sloppy precariously balanced paper slips. When he was talking to someone, he very often was oblivious to the way others couldn’t understand his thoughts. “Oh, right. Sorry, babe. Meow’s Chow is this old, old cyber café. You know back when Starbucks was a thing? Well even older than that. It dates back to the 90’s. Yeah, I know right?” He laughed at the blond’s surprised expression. “It’s _ancient._ But it’s really close to what they call the pits, and the pits are this kind of…I don’t know how to explain it, but we can’t ever bring Xion there. They’re vultures. They’d rip her apart for salvage and strip her code before we could even explain who we are. When you go there, don’t even bring your cellphone. Your first time there, they like to pretend that they’re a cult. Like they’re some big underground society instead of this small community of robot geeks.”

                “On top of that, they’re uber incestuous. Their parents all know each other. Their parents were all friends. They all date each other. They’re all friends. Sora, Riku, and Kairi are what they call Outernet. They live a real life not completely dominated by the pits. Then there’s the Innernet. I’ve only met one person that belonged to the Innernet, and he was the actual underground cult kind of guy. He was one of Riku’s friends, and he was…odd. Hopefully we won’t meet anyone like that this time.” He gave a weak grin, “But that wasn’t your question! Sorry! I digress, Meow’s Chow is cool. Just…take a deep breath and keep your expectations low, so you’re impressed.”

                Roxas snorted and took off his jacket because the sun had decided to acknowledge them and sent warm beams of light down upon them, “Alright.” With the redhead’s words in mind, he walked a bit taller, more confident in his own skin; Axel’s explanation and simple actions had put his worries at bay. With his mind free to wander, he noted the birds as they gossiped in the trees and the way the air seemed to be filled full of a lazy hum. The relief of spring had faded, and the intoxication of summer teased the two. The prison of the youth, school, was almost out, and the thought seemed so far away yet tangible it made his brain thrash with upset and impatience. “Are you excited to be a senior this year?”

                Axel had a quiet smile, one that told you he was effervescing with a satiated joy. With the toss of his long cerise spikes over his shoulder, bottle coke green of summers long ago glanced at the shorter male. “Oh, you have no idea how excited I am.” A lie. He had felt the handful of lies he had started out with growing exponentially as Roxas had gotten closer to him. They weren’t colossal lies. If anything, they were relatively small, but at this moment, the question had truly filled him with dread. His soul was aware that it should be at peace and excited with the prospect of being liberated from the public school system, but turmoil had seeped in at the idea that he would have to find something to do after his education was complete. What was there for him out there? The world was a mystery, but it already had all the detectives it needed. He was just a witness to the crime that was humanities own undoing.

                The scuff of heels on concrete brought him back to the moment, and he caught Roxas between his own body and the wall, “You’re wonderful.” He whispered, and the blond gasped as the redhead kissed him deeply.

                A blush, “Thanks.”

                “You’re welcome.” Continuing on down clean streets that were swept and manicured by basic AI, they came to an ally way that seemed to be ignored and rather neglected compared to its surroundings. “Come on, this way.” He stepped over a garbage bag, well aware it could be anything from old clothes to horror story discoveries.

                Roxas followed close, nose wrinkling up at the smell, “Axel…” He didn’t feel completely comfortable here, but they were soon standing in front of what appeared to be the back entrance of the restaurant. An old neon sign buzzed wanly proclaiming that they served breakfast and hot coffee could be discovered within. His anxiety was erased, and he watched as his boyfriend opened the door. There was the squeak of unoiled hinges, and the sound of footsteps on cool linoleum floors.

                A jingle from a soft bell to alert the staff drifted to his ears along with a melodious voice, “Welcome to Meow’s Chow. Please give me just a moment, and I’ll be right with you.” Pink lips pulled back tight offered an even sweeter smile, and Axel realized he knew this voice and face.

                “N-Namine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Layla betas every chapter :)


	12. Chapter 12

                Xion had mastered the art of losing. She had lost her father, her friend, and her dream of a heart. The control on her life was not hers from the start. After all, she was not human. Her thoughts weren’t decided by her actual self, but lines of numbers, symbols, and words upon words upon words. She was an actor; she lived a script. Xion had mastered the art of losing and lying, but to her, this was no disaster.

                In her loss grew a new sense of independence and accomplishment as she learned to mourn and rise again. AI were children to some extent, and most never were told about cruelties and monstrosities that careened by them. The ravenette often felt that this was something that she could boast divided her from the rest.  Most of the other Level 4’s and on up were buffered by their separate reality, by _The Database_. When Roxas and Axel had decided to watch the horror movie, she felt that her time might be better spent in different company, and once she had powered down and stepped into a parallel plain, Xion felt the shackles of the real world drop from her limbs and the chain on her tongue break. There where flesh was flesh and blood was blood, no matter how hard she tried, she did not belong. No matter how she scrapped and screamed and struggled, she was not real. She was not human.

                But here- here in _The Database_ \- she was an equal at all times. Sadly, when her eyes opened, there was a flaw in her plan to retire, “Oh.”

                The word fell to the floor and shattered into a million pieces. In her home town, the world had been built up as a collective. In that digital realm that was shared and sacred amongst the town’s AI, they had lived in a forest of oddities. In the mist that settled in from their world’s ocean, it wasn’t strange to find large colorful birds, animals that talked, trees that sang, and homes of ages past. Namine had always had a particular love for white, so she had made a sun bleached picturesque lighthouse from the 1950’s for herself on the edge of the coast. Her room plugged into her shell like all personal rooms did, and she had a good view of the reality behind the reality. When Namine disappeared, so did everything her code had created.

                Xion had a lot of time to herself in _The Database_ , so she rebuilt. It didn’t take long to recreate the puzzle pieces of their town that had been stolen when Namine’s light had gone out. Not only did she do that, but she built up. Higher, and higher, and higher. Clock towers, church bells, cobbled streets, sunsets: The _Twilight Town_ behind the oh so boring plain Twilight Town. The other AI didn’t mind either. They watched with disinterested apathy. Occasionally they would comment or give advice, but when a new house or building appeared, they accepted it with listless appreciation. Sometimes Xion really hated Level 4s and 5s. When the new Level 7’s started being made, that was when things had begun to get interesting. She had new companions, who commended her on her creations, but they were still prototypes and projects of the Moshiva employees. They glitched occasionally, and those glitches leveled _Twilight Town_. Xion lost two towns, lovely ones, a forest, a river, but to her that was no disaster. No, she had accepted the loss, realized that it was a part of a human life. With loss, it made her personality more than just code, it made her vaster.

                She hadn’t realized when entering the city with her friends for the competition that her network was also moving. Her entity was no longer in _Twilight Town._ She was in a new environment. One she had never experienced before. She shivered. She shuddered. Everything was so empty. Instead of the inviting lively hues found in the nature that usually surrounded her, it was as if a sociopath had designed the landscape. If Xion was vast, this desert was the universe. The sand was an orange-red like the sunsets that she was so familiar with, but this shade held a hint of melancholy as it was disseminated by the wind across the dunes. Small sketches of structures stood on top of hills far on the horizon, and she began her walk towards them, towards where she hoped to find signs of life.

                [Analysis complete: Landscape recognized :Construction similar to Dust Bowl. 1930’s. United States History Archive states: -] She cut the program off, that was all she needed to know. If there was no change in landscape, then she herself would need to change. Switching in her skirt and tank tops for some cowboy boots, denim jeans, a plaid shirt, and a cowboy hat, her code called for a horse to complete the image and a horse she was given. Patting the beast on the nose, Xion clambered a top and gave the animal two small taps to the side. Holding the reigns loosely, it instinctively knew where she wanted to go and ambled up the pyramids of sand. Time trotted by, and soon she stood in front of a skeleton of a home. Dull gray planks made up the sides of the house as the sun screamed down, trying to exterminate any life form that may walk here. The shingles on the roof had almost all been torn off by the wind. If this was a room to plug in, it was a pitiful excuse. She had yet to build one in this new network, but the AI felt that she could do better than this given a few minutes to apply herself.

                Further investigation is needed on the inside, so she enters after tying up her horse to a post. The floorboards creak under her weight, and goosebumps coat her arms regardless of how hot it is. The decorating gives her a healthy fear, focus and senses heightened for anything that might happen. A faded cloth couch with a flower pattern sits next to a dark wood coffee table with a fine finish. The varnish would glimmer in the sun if not for the sand that dusts it. On top, sits a pitcher of ice tea. A cold pitcher of ice tea where sand sticks to the condensation. As she reaches for it, a shiver runs down her spine. She wished someone else was here. Someone she knew, because she’s well aware that someone else is standing behind her right now. Stopping in her movements, she stands there with her back turned, not willing to face this character who could be anything from an ice cream scooper to a construction worker in the real world. The real world rules don’t apply in _The Database._ There is no form of law. If an AI is killed, the humans just reload the file into the shell. So simple. So permanent. Xion would cease to exist, but File: Xion wouldn’t.

                “If you’re thirsty,” Comes the dry voice of an older man, “Then drink.”

                Her tongue feels thick and her voice wants to quiver, but she resists, “Not thirsty, Sir. Just looking for what happened here. I’m not from around these parts, and it’s clear to me that your network is in a sorry state.” With that said, she stands strong to turn and face the other.

                “Well,” A devilish grin, “You _could_ say that, but you can’t judge a book by its cover, poppet.”

                Xion inhales deeply at what she sees, and suddenly everything makes sense. If there was a whole city of AI, and they aren’t on the surface…

                Then they must be somewhere else.


	13. Chapter 13

                The sand whipped around her face, and she tugged the bandana up towards her eyes again. She supposed it wasn’t really sand, but dust instead. Xion wondered who in their right mind would want to live in such a place. How did humans even survive such harsh conditions? If this had been outside _The Database,_ there would have been particles in her joints, and she might have gotten jammed. Thank goodness for virtual reality. Abandoning the horse when her new found companion signaled to, she followed on foot up a slope of sand to where the only protrusion in this desert seemed to be. “You know, I’d never thought to use a horse when traveling before.” He shook dust from the folds of his robes as he lowered his hood, “Guess you can teach a dog new tricks.” The man chuckled wryly as he waited for her to catch up. “But then again, I guess I could use a camel too. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

                The onyx haired girl nodded slowly and stared up at the rusted red plateau that stood as a colossus in front of them. The lone mesa seemed to have a song of its own that separated it from the luring illusion of the desert.  “What are we doing here?” She asked, already having assumed that the other AI must be somewhere nearby possibly watching them. On their long ride, she had learned a lot about this man who had approached her.

                The other AI, Xigbar, named after his creator (or at least that’s what he said. Xion couldn’t find anything in her searches online to back that up) was almost forty years old. He said he was one of the first major sentient programs in this area and had been updated over a long period of time as technology progressed. He was the long lived project of a human about twenty years older than himself. Xion calculated that out, and the man would have been born in the 1980’s. A far cry from the date her father had been born on.

                There were a lot of things about Xigbar that she had come to like as they had travelled across the dusty world that they occupied. One of them was that he was old fashioned. Xigbar could have coded up a car or a truck and had them to the mesa in minutes, but he decided to make a horse as well, so they could get to know each other. He was also really clever regardless if he had been voiced by a beach surfer back in the 2000’s. She also liked his appearance, but he eventually told her a little further into their trip that he had lost his eye and gotten his scar due to a file corruption several years ago that his programmer hadn’t noticed, and he didn’t have the heart to tell him about. “He’s getting old, ya know? Like the dude is almost 67, and he has grandkids and his wife passed away. I’m just something he tinkers away on in his free time. He did a great job, and I just don’t have it in me to let him know his memory is slipping.”

                The words reminded Xion of how short humans truly lived, and how she would be around for decades to come as long as she played it safe in _The Database._  Xigbar interrupted these thoughts by clearing his throat before taking out a bottle of water. What an ironic thing for a computer who could never use it in the real world to simulate. Xion almost snorted as he brought it to his lips to take a long ‘refreshing’ drink. He didn’t even know what real water tasted like most likely. The older man wiped away any renegade liquid with the back of his sleeve before commenting, voice finally free of that thick scratchy sound that all voice boxes seemed to procure out in a wilderness like this, “Can’t you tell? I mean it’s not like it’s that hard to figure out.” He teased.

                “We’re here because the other AI are here, right?” She guessed watching as he started to knock on the stone, listening for a hollow or some other cliché action movie plot device.

                “No,” He mumbled a smile growing as he located an area where the code warped, “We’re here because this is where the other AI are _hiding._ ” He grinned, “And you, poppet, you look like a fix to our little virus.” Moving behind her, he pushed her along, “ I’m teasing. Now come on. Be nice. Don’t worry. A little glitch in a simple structure like this never hurt anyone.”

                Reluctantly she stepped through into the area where she was expecting to find some empty abyss or the end of the world. To her relief, the sole of her boot struck solid footing, and she continued on through the anomaly that shouldn’t exist, or if they had in _Twilight Town_ , she hadn’t noticed them. Dark black hair contrasted against startled blue eyes for a moment as she looked around, “Are we-?” Her eyes narrowed in on the windows that displayed something from one of those fantasy video games that Axel loved to play. The low ceilings and the walls of carved stone tipped her off immediately. If this place had been handcrafted, it would have taken a lifetime and more.

                “Underground? Why yes we are.” Xigbar’s smug face sported a cheeky grin, “Come along, I’ll show you the ropes since you’ll be staying here for a while, right? I guess I should have asked if you were moving in to the network. If you’re only staying for a while, you probably would have been fine out there underneath the sunshine, but I didn’t want to take any chances.”

                Xion’s laugh jingled in the small room that they now occupied and it reverberated off the walls, “Why? Is the sun that bad?”

                “Oh, it’s not the sunshine you should be ‘fraid of, but there’s a reason why every rational animal has a fear of the dark. Plus…there’s other things that go bump in the night here.” He decided not to linger on the idea and grabbed her hand, leading her to the window, “Now look and tell me what you see.”

                “I see-“  She started, analyzing the streets and walkways that looked of ancient Roman architecture mixed with a little Norse touch. “I see one thousand flames from the same match.”

                Xigbar who had been leaning against the wall studying the bottom of his shoes looked up and snorted, “That’s a good way of putting it.”

                Glancing again at copies of copies of copies, she sighed, “I thought you were teasing about the virus.” Not that she had ever seen a virus, but something definitely felt unnatural just by looking at the crowd of AI entities that were identical in appearance.

                Xigbar gave a bitter laugh before answering softly, “No, only about you being the fix.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Layla betaed~


End file.
